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Reporter misunderstands tower clearance and varies from intended pattern.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 308920 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199506 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : hnl |
| State Reference | HI |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 900 msl bound upper : 900 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : hnl |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Tampico TB-9 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Cessna Aircraft Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 327 flight time type : 319 |
| ASRS Report | 308920 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified cockpit |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 900 vertical : 0 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
I was returning from a morning solo training flight and was #1 in the sequence of VFR aircraft arriving in the pattern from the north. My initial clearance into the bravo airspace at honolulu airport was a standard clearance to the airport via the navy/marine golf course which is located just north of the airport and is just outside the VFR traffic pattern, it is used as the geographical location from which VFR aircraft enter the downwind segment of the pattern. Just prior to over flying the golf course, tower control issued instructions to my aircraft to extend my downwind segment and that he (tower controller) will 'call my turn.' it was at this time I believe that the misunderstanding took place. Instead of turning inbound for a normal downwind (left turns) to a landing on runway 4L, I flew my airplane on a extended crosswind just outside the normal pattern path and listening on my radio for the tower to 'call my turn.' after a few seconds had passed I realized that I had misunderstood the tower's instructions and made an immediate 180 degree right turn to get back on the correct downwind. As I came out of my turn and had established my downwind, a high wing single engine cessna (which was apparently #2 in the sequence) was now crossing in front of my flight path. There was no danger of a midair collision being that I had flown such a wide pattern and that he (the cessna) was entering the pattern from the normal entry position. The fact remained however that I had made a mistake which now resulted in 2 aircraft being on the downwind segment of the pattern and both were cleared for the same runway. I slowed my airplane down to increase the distance between me and the cessna and delayed my turn to base until the cessna was off my left wing. However when I had crossed the numbers of runway 4L on short final, the cessna had just begun taxiing off the runway and the tower commented that there was less than a thousand ft separation at that moment. I applied a little short field landing technique and landed my airplane with enough separation to satisfy the tower. I realized that in this situation the problem originated with my failure to understand the instructions from the tower. Perhaps in some degree the instructions 'extend your downwind, I'll call your turn,' from the tower given to an aircraft not yet established on the downwind is a contributing factor. For it may be understood to some as...'I'll call your turn to enter the downwind leg of the pattern, and once you're established on the downwind I want you to extend it.' callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated he was flying a 4 place aerospatial tampico. He said there is heavy traffic of both airliners and private aviation into hnl. Also, there is usually turbulence. The clearance 'I will call your turn' was misunderstood because it occurred just as he was about to turn on to the 45 to the downwind. If 'I will call the turn' were given when the pilot were on downwind the fact the 'extend your downwind' not being heard would not have been as critical.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: RPTR MISUNDERSTANDS TWR CLRNC AND VARIES FROM INTENDED PATTERN.
Narrative: I WAS RETURNING FROM A MORNING SOLO TRAINING FLT AND WAS #1 IN THE SEQUENCE OF VFR ACFT ARRIVING IN THE PATTERN FROM THE N. MY INITIAL CLRNC INTO THE BRAVO AIRSPACE AT HONOLULU ARPT WAS A STANDARD CLRNC TO THE ARPT VIA THE NAVY/MARINE GOLF COURSE WHICH IS LOCATED JUST N OF THE ARPT AND IS JUST OUTSIDE THE VFR TFC PATTERN, IT IS USED AS THE GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION FROM WHICH VFR ACFT ENTER THE DOWNWIND SEGMENT OF THE PATTERN. JUST PRIOR TO OVER FLYING THE GOLF COURSE, TWR CTL ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS TO MY ACFT TO EXTEND MY DOWNWIND SEGMENT AND THAT HE (TWR CTLR) WILL 'CALL MY TURN.' IT WAS AT THIS TIME I BELIEVE THAT THE MISUNDERSTANDING TOOK PLACE. INSTEAD OF TURNING INBOUND FOR A NORMAL DOWNWIND (L TURNS) TO A LNDG ON RWY 4L, I FLEW MY AIRPLANE ON A EXTENDED XWIND JUST OUTSIDE THE NORMAL PATTERN PATH AND LISTENING ON MY RADIO FOR THE TWR TO 'CALL MY TURN.' AFTER A FEW SECONDS HAD PASSED I REALIZED THAT I HAD MISUNDERSTOOD THE TWR'S INSTRUCTIONS AND MADE AN IMMEDIATE 180 DEG R TURN TO GET BACK ON THE CORRECT DOWNWIND. AS I CAME OUT OF MY TURN AND HAD ESTABLISHED MY DOWNWIND, A HIGH WING SINGLE ENG CESSNA (WHICH WAS APPARENTLY #2 IN THE SEQUENCE) WAS NOW XING IN FRONT OF MY FLT PATH. THERE WAS NO DANGER OF A MIDAIR COLLISION BEING THAT I HAD FLOWN SUCH A WIDE PATTERN AND THAT HE (THE CESSNA) WAS ENTERING THE PATTERN FROM THE NORMAL ENTRY POS. THE FACT REMAINED HOWEVER THAT I HAD MADE A MISTAKE WHICH NOW RESULTED IN 2 ACFT BEING ON THE DOWNWIND SEGMENT OF THE PATTERN AND BOTH WERE CLRED FOR THE SAME RWY. I SLOWED MY AIRPLANE DOWN TO INCREASE THE DISTANCE BTWN ME AND THE CESSNA AND DELAYED MY TURN TO BASE UNTIL THE CESSNA WAS OFF MY L WING. HOWEVER WHEN I HAD CROSSED THE NUMBERS OF RWY 4L ON SHORT FINAL, THE CESSNA HAD JUST BEGUN TAXIING OFF THE RWY AND THE TWR COMMENTED THAT THERE WAS LESS THAN A THOUSAND FT SEPARATION AT THAT MOMENT. I APPLIED A LITTLE SHORT FIELD LNDG TECHNIQUE AND LANDED MY AIRPLANE WITH ENOUGH SEPARATION TO SATISFY THE TWR. I REALIZED THAT IN THIS SIT THE PROB ORIGINATED WITH MY FAILURE TO UNDERSTAND THE INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE TWR. PERHAPS IN SOME DEGREE THE INSTRUCTIONS 'EXTEND YOUR DOWNWIND, I'LL CALL YOUR TURN,' FROM THE TWR GIVEN TO AN ACFT NOT YET ESTABLISHED ON THE DOWNWIND IS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. FOR IT MAY BE UNDERSTOOD TO SOME AS...'I'LL CALL YOUR TURN TO ENTER THE DOWNWIND LEG OF THE PATTERN, AND ONCE YOU'RE ESTABLISHED ON THE DOWNWIND I WANT YOU TO EXTEND IT.' CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED HE WAS FLYING A 4 PLACE AEROSPATIAL TAMPICO. HE SAID THERE IS HVY TFC OF BOTH AIRLINERS AND PVT AVIATION INTO HNL. ALSO, THERE IS USUALLY TURB. THE CLRNC 'I WILL CALL YOUR TURN' WAS MISUNDERSTOOD BECAUSE IT OCCURRED JUST AS HE WAS ABOUT TO TURN ON TO THE 45 TO THE DOWNWIND. IF 'I WILL CALL THE TURN' WERE GIVEN WHEN THE PLT WERE ON DOWNWIND THE FACT THE 'EXTEND YOUR DOWNWIND' NOT BEING HEARD WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AS CRITICAL.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.